Books

Dancing Feat: One Man’s Mission to Dance Like a Colombian

Dancing Feat is the story of one Englishman’s attempt to deal with his appalling dance ability – by dancing his way round Colombia.

That Englishman is me.

Join me as I romp through this land of swashbuckling peaks and luscious coastlines, learning new dances as I go. When I’m not doing everything in my power to avoid them, that is.

– Get an insight into Colombian dance: from the urban forms found in nightclubs, to folkloric dances steeped in historical significance.
– Learn about the truth and legend of this famously troubled country.
– Meet a people who are amongst the kindest and warmest anywhere on the planet, unless you’re trying to get away with not dancing.

Some six months after I began, I’m honour-bound to put on a show of the dances I’ve learnt.

But can such a bad dancer really make the necessary transformation? Is it even possible to remember so many dances? And is there a window backstage big enough for an adult male to fit through?

How to Learn to Dance in Colombia

Colombia is a great place to learn to dance, offering everything from floor-searing urban favourites to folkloric numbers steeped in historical significance. It’s populated by people that are amongst the kindest and warmest anywhere, unless you’re trying to avoid dancing.

But you can’t just wander in and expect to wing it, in the same way that most people can’t just suddenly decide to speak Welsh. There’s a great deal to learn just to recognise the music that’s playing in a Colombian nightclub, let alone to know how to dance to it. And then there’s the dance-floor etiquette and the Spanish vocabulary to master.

How to Learn to Dance in Colombia is here to give you the heads-up on all of it, and to be your guide to learning how to dance in this amazing country.

47 Amazing Things to See and Do in Colombia

Detailed guides are great. But when you’re putting together your rough itinerary, you don’t necessarily need up-to-the-minute peso prices, opening hours on public holidays and the nicknames of all the local bus drivers. Sometimes you just want a quick heads up, so you know what’s what.

This is that guide.

– Quick read – an hour or two at most and you’ll be finished and looking for another freebie.

– Humorous – the author makes the occasional attempt at wit. It’s up to you whether you laugh or roll your eyes.

34 Things to Do If You Don’t Drink

Giving up alcohol, or even just cutting down on your intake, can be tough, whatever your reasons for doing so.

But it’s only when you stop that you realise how much everything rotates around alcohol. So if you don’t drink – and you’re trying to avoid bars and pubs – how do you relax in the evening? How do you bond with friends? How do you have fun?

This short book (10,000 words) is packed with ideas of things you can do to help fill that bottle-shaped gap in your life.